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Three Years after Earthquake, Significant Progress for Children Reported

Nearly three years after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the educational, health, and nutritional status of children has improved substantially, according to the results of a new national survey. “Results of the survey show that the efforts of UNICEF and its partners in Haiti in these three years contributed to progress in many sectors and mitigated the impact on children of the 2010 earthquake, the cholera outbreak and other disasters,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.

NEW YORK (January 10, 2013) — Nearly three years after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, the educational, health, and nutritional status of children has improved substantially, according to the results of a new national survey.

The initial results of the Haiti Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) show that 77% of children ages 6-11 attended primary school in 2012 compared to under 50% between 2005 and 2006 when the last survey was conducted. In addition, life-threatening acute malnutrition among children ages 6-59 months has been reduced by half from 10% to 5%, and chronic malnutrition has been cut from 29% to 22% during the same time period.

The 2012 DHS covered 13,350 households and is the first nationwide population-based survey to highlight the situation of internally displaced people living in camps because of the destruction caused by the earthquake.

“Results of the survey show that the efforts of UNICEF and its partners in Haiti in these three years contributed to progress in many sectors and mitigated the impact on children of the 2010 earthquake, the cholera outbreak and other disasters,” said Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. “These findings call for a continued commitment to support the country in sustaining these successes while addressing existing challenges,” he said.

The under-five child mortality rate, now at 88 deaths per 1,000 live births, has declined by more than 21% in the last 15 years, according to new estimates. Progress has also been made in access to improved sanitation, which has nearly doubled from 14% in 2005-2006 to 26% in 2012.

The 2012 Haiti DHS estimates socio-economic, demographic and health indicators for the entire Haitian population, including women of child-bearing age, children under five, and men ages 15 to 59. The last survey took place between October 2005 and June 2006.

The DHS 2012 was conducted by the Institut Haitien de l’Enfance under the direction of the Ministry of Population and Public Health. It was supported by the United States Agency for International Development, UNICEF, the United Nations Population Fund, Canadian International Development Agency, and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.